Hyenans dagar

Lilla Teatern – Georgsgatan 30
Premiere 11.9.2025
The duration of the performance is 1 h 30 min. There is no pause in the performance.
The performance is subtitled in Swedish and Finnish via the Subtitle mobile app
The performance contains theatrical smoke and harsh sounds
The performance is aimed at adults. We do not recommend it for children under 12 years of age
Student ticket €21.50 (Mon-Thu), pensioner ticket €40 (Mon-Thu), regular ticket €43

Note: No longer in repertoire!

Hyena Days is partly based on Saara Turunen’s novel of the same name.

The work dives into a reproductive story and a woman’s experience of fertility treatments and the path to having children. It is a story that follows a sequence and at the same time a period of time in life is fragmented where the boundary between the private and the social is blurred. Under the surface, the work deals with questions of physicality, control and always having to fend for oneself. The drama takes place not only on stage, but also in the viewer’s own thoughts and reflections. The performance does not provide ready-made answers, but instead offers scenes, moments and moments.

Music and imagery play a central role, just like in Saara Turunen’s previous performances. Turunen combines humour and melancholy in his own original way.

The Hyena Days are aimed at anyone who has ever strived for something, experienced adversity or been thrown into an unknown world.

Performed in Swedish. The performance is subtitled in Finnish and Swedish via the Subtitle Mobile app. Read more about the subtitles here. To use the app, you need the subtitle code WANJ.

Read the digital program HERE

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Hyenans dagar (The Days of the Hyena) is partly based on the novel of the same name by Saara Turunen.

The book immerses itself in a reproductive story, it sheds light on one woman’s story from fertility treatments to having a child. The presentation is a follow-up report and a description of a single period in which the private and the social are mixed. Under the surface, the work deals with embodiment, control and the culture of coping. The drama is located outside the images, partly in the viewer’s own mind. The performance does not offer ready-made answers, rather it only shows scenes, moments and situations from which the viewer can make their own interpretations.

As in Turunen’s previous works, music and imagery play a key role in the performance of Hyenans dagar. Turunen combines humour and melancholy in a unique way.

Hyenans dagar is aimed at everyone who has ever pursued something, encountered difficulties or been pushed into an unknown world.

Performed in Swedish. The performance will be subtitled in Finnish and Swedish using the Subtitle Mobile application. Read more about subtitles here. The code needed for the subtitle app is WANJ.

Read the digital handbook HERE

View the programme

Artistic team

Saara Turunen
Script and direction
Kasimir Koski
Translation
Milja Aho
Set design
Liisa Pesonen
Costume design
Ainu Palmu
Video and Lighting Design
Tuuli Kyttälä
Sound Design
Jaana Nykänen
Mask design
Janina Rajakangas
Choreography

Performers

Seating chart

Zoom in

Stage

Lilla Teatern

Georgsgatan 30, 00100 Helsingfors

More information and arrival instructions

Gallery

Kollaasi valokuvista ja kuvituksista sinisellä pohjalla, mukaan lukien miesten ja naisten pääkuvat, hyeena, koira, juna, kiviä, muna, ilmapallo, vihreä omena, hymyilevät keltaiset kasvot ja muita pieniä esineitä.

Nainen seisoo lavalla puisen työpöydän ja tuolin vieressä, lattianmyötäisten beigen verhojen edessä. Hänellä on vaalea pusero, pitkä hame ja ruskeat kengät, ilme neutraali.

Lääkäri polvistuu tutkimuspöydällä istuvan naisen viereen; heidän takanaan näyttämöverhoihin heijastetaan suuri hyeenan kuva, joka luo surrealistisen tunnelman.

Kaksi naista istuu penkillä beigen verhojen edessä. Toisella on pusero ja hame, toisella on silmälasit ja vaaleanpunainen asu, ja hänellä on kädessään suuri musta karvainen esine. He katsovat toisiaan. Heidän välissään istuu vesilasi.

Eläimen korviin ja häntään pukeutunut esiintyjä poseeraa dramaattisesti pitäen kädessään suurta mukia. Hän seisoo lilojen verhojen edessä kirkkaasti valaistulla näyttämöllä, jonka yläpuolella on pyöreä valo.

Henkilö seisoo lavalla puisen työpöydän vieressä, jossa on suljettu kannettava tietokone ja ostoskärry täynnä siivoustarvikkeita, korkeiden beigen verhojen edessä.

Neljä naista istuu ja seisoo lavalla, jonka yläpuolella on violetit verhot ja hehkuva pyöreä valo. Kolme naista istuu jumppapallojen päällä; yksi nainen seisoo pöydän vieressä, jossa on purkkeja ja kulhoja. Kohtaus on kirkkaasti valaistu, ja siinä on pastellisävyjä.

Nainen seisoo lavalla sinisten vanhojen lastenrattaiden vieressä pyöreän ylävalon alla. Hän on beigeiden verhojen edessä, ja hänen vasemmalla puolellaan on puinen kirjoituspöytä ja tuoli. Kohtaus vaikuttaa teatraaliselta ja minimalistiselta.

Neljä aikuista seisoo lavalla sinisten vanhojen lastenvaunujen ympärillä pyöreän valon alla. Heidän takanaan on beigeistä pystysuorista verhoista koostuva yksinkertainen tausta ja puinen pöytä, jossa on teetarvikkeita. He näyttävät keskittyvän vaunuihin.

Pukuun pukeutunut henkilö kumartuu työntämään suurta leluautoa kirkkaasti valaistulla näyttämöllä, jossa on beiget verhot, pyöreä valo yläpuolella ja minimaaliset huonekalut, kuten pöytä ja tuoli.

Lavastuksessa vasemmalla on mies työpöydän ääressä ja oikealla eläinkorvainen nainen, jolla on oranssi paita kädessään. Taustalla on beiget verhot, ja näyttämö on koristeltu suurilla leluilla ja lastenkalusteilla.

Kaksi ihmistä on näyttämöllä, jossa on suljetut beiget verhot ja pyöreä kattovalaisin. Toinen seisoo pöydän takana kannettavan tietokoneen kanssa, kun taas toinen seisoo pitelemässä esinettä rintansa edessä. Oikealla puolella on tuoli.

Background

Hyena Days in HBL

Read the review of the novel

"Saara Turunen writes addictively about fertility and childbirth, about difficult-to-assemble breast pumps and a persistent bleeding hematoma."

Krista Kosonen's reading circle: guest Saara Turunen

Watch the video!

The conversation between Krista Kosonen and Saara Turunen reflects on the meaning of the word mother, internalized misogyny and why our gaze on motherhood is often so judgmental.

Saara Turunen sculpts the performance

Read the interview!

"The Days of the Hyena is partly based on my novel of the same name, but it is not a dramatization, but rather a series of scenes and moments that I have picked from the book and its world, and that I myself find interesting."

Saara Turunen carves out the performance

Read the interview!

"Hyenans dagar is partly based on my novel of the same name, but it is not a dramatization, but rather a series of scenes and moments that I have picked up from the book and its world and that I personally find interesting."

She wrote the spring's most unexpected theatrical success

Read Tomas Jansson's article from 2019 about Saara's previous performances

"I knew I wanted to include a scene where the actors are crawling on their knees with buckets on their heads"

They look at me completely uncomprehensible and ask why?

Check out the video made in collaboration with Luckan

Elmer Bäck and Jonna Sundberg talk about fertility treatments, different ways to become and be a parent and how to portray it all on stage.

Reviews

,

Review

“Hyeanas dagar sums up in a very recognizable way how complex self-image swinging issues can be related to the everyday change situation of having a child.”

,

Review

“Saara Turunen’s Hyenans dagar Lillan was a fresh and touching theatre about becoming a mother”

,

Review

“Katja Küttner is comical both as a childless friend with substitutes in the form of a hairy lap dog, a cheeky counselling lady and an easily irritated relaxation coach. Pia Runnakko’s sense of timing does not deny itself in any of her many roles, such as seminar organizer, nurse or mother. Alexander Wendelin’s and Elmer Bäck’s seductive pregnant women would also be a success in any drag show.”

,

Review

“The role of the author is played by Kreeta Salminen, who gives a great performance. The fact that the performance is as usual taciturn, or that Salminen has almost more howling than speech in the role, rather only increases his expressive power. Salminen speaks with his eyes and facial expressions, in several scenes with his whole body. He makes a woman who turns into a hyena-like with millimetre precision and primal power, but sensitively. It is easy for the viewer to be on the side of Salminen, who sometimes looks very shabby in his hyena ears, with all his soul.”

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